Appliance for heating water for domestic use



July 9, 1935. M. E. OLIPHANT APPLIANCE FOR HEATING WATER FOR DOMESTIC USE Filed Sept. 15

Patented July 9, 1935 APPLIANCE FOR HEATING WATER FOR DOMESTIC USE Maurice Englebert Oliphant, Crestline, Ohio Application September 15, 1933, Serial No. 689,550

1 Claim.

My invention consists in anew and useful improvement in water heaters and is designed more particularly for use with or other suitable heater a storage tank and gas for domestic use The 5 particularly novel and useful feature of my invention is the provision of a heating chamber having a flexible copper diaphragm therein, and a system of piping whereby the unheated water is subjected to the eifect of the heater by passage through said diaphragm,

and is circulated by the heating process for storage in a suitable tank.

While I have illustrated in the drawing filed herewith and have herein specific embodiment of my inventiom'it is to be after fully described one distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention limited to said specific embodiment, but

refer for its scope to the In the drawing:

claim appended hereto.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2--2 Of Fig. 1.

My device, as illustrated in the drawing, has a tank I with the supply pipe 2 having itsdischarge end 3 near the bottom 4 of the tank I.

pipe 5 is provided at the An outlet bottom 4 of the tank I,

and is connected with the vertically disposed pipe 6 which is connected by the pipe 5 with the upper portion of the tank I. Depending from the lower end of the pipe 6 there is a cast-iron jacket formed by the conical upper casting I and the conical lower casting 8 bolts 5.

fastened together by Positioned between these castings I and cock I5.

The convex portion I I of the diaphragm II] has an opening IE disposed concentric with the pipe 6. Surrounding this opening I5, there is the copper pipe l'I integral with the co-ncavo-convex portion II and extending upwardly withinthe pipe 6 to a point about of the pipe 5 and considerably above the point of mid-way of the length junction of the pipe 5 with the pipe 6. This pipe Il has a diameter sufficiently small as to afford a space I8 between the outside of the pipe I1 and the inside of the pipe 6.

Any'suitable form of heating means, as a gas burner I9, is provided below the lower casting 8, and a discharge pipe 2 of the tank I.

is provided at the top From the foregoing description of the details of construction of my improved device, its use and operation will be obvious. The water entering tank I through the supp-1y pipe 2 will pass from the bottom 4 of tank I through pipes and 6 to the center of the heating chamber and passing'over the diaphragm IE) and through ports I3 will be heated in the lower portion 8 of the heating chamber by heat from the burner I9. The heated water will flow upwardly against the concavo-convex portion II of the flexible diaphragm I0 and through pipe I! into pipe 6 and from pipe 6 through pipe 5' to the upper portion of the tank I. As the heated water begins to flow from the pipe I! into thepipe 6, suction in the pipe 6 will be thereby created which will cause a portion of the unheated water from pipe 5 to flow upwardly in the space I8 and join the heated water from the pipe H, to flow into the upper portion of the tank I. It will be obvious that the proportionate separation of the'water discharged from pipe 5 into the pipe 6, a part going downwardly to the heating chamber and a part going upwardly to the tank I, will depend upon the relative dimensions of the pipes 5, 6 and I1.

It is to be noted that since the diaphragm III is made of flexible copper and the unheated'water is applied to its upper side and the heated water to its lower side, there will be a difference in expansionand that the diaphragm II] will be constantly in vibration when the heating chamber is in operation, which will serve to prevent formation of lime deposit or scale upon the diaphragm Ill. Under certain conditions of water, there is also galvanic action.

Having described by invention, what I claim is:

In a water heater, the combination of a heat ing chamber having an upper portion and a lower portion; a diaphragm separating said portions and provided with water ports adjacent the perimeter thereof; a storage tank; a discharge pipe from the bottom of said tank; a hot water supply pipe to the top of said tank; a third pipe connected at its bottom with the upper portion of the heating chamber and at its top with the supply pipe of the 'tank, and having the dis- 

